That Kind of a Year
by Ryuno chu
Summary: We can all agree that 2016 was a terrible year. Just what will happen to our favorite Death Note characters in 2017? Series of one-shots. AU where everything and nothing has happened simultaneously.
1. That Kind of a Year

Characters: Ryuk  
Genre: Humor, drama

 _So, this is going to be a series of one-shots involving any number of characters, genres, topics, etc. All should be under 500 words. I plan on updating every Sunday until the end of the year. If you have something you would like to see, leave it in the reviews, I am definitely taking requests._

* * *

In a far, desolate corner of the shinigami realm, Ryuk sat hunched over an orb. In the past he'd often teased Gelus for his obsessive observation of the humans, but now he finally understood.

For many years he spied on them; learning their habits, their behaviors, their… interests. In a way, this was much more interesting than attaching himself to one singular person.

He stared down at the humans, bustling around their cities. Another one of their Earth years was nearly at a close.

Ryuk took a closer look and found a series of giggles start to bubble just beneath his surface.

There seemed to be a singular consensus among the humans.

Hunched further over the orb, he couldn't contain his hysterical laughter.

 _If you thought 2016 was bad, this year is going to be so much worse._


	2. Man vs Swivel Chair

Characters: Light, L  
Genre: Humor

* * *

 _How many Lights does it take to screw in a light bulb?_

This is what L was thinking as he sat back in his own chair and watched the scene that was unfolding in front of him.

Back in the room they shared, Light was performing a rather delicate balancing act as he attempted to change the flickering light bulb on the ceiling.

While the handcuffs just barely allowed for this stretch of distance, they did ensure that L would get quite an amusing view of the situation.

"Perhaps we should call Watari, Light-kun," L offered.

"Not a chance," Light shot back. "If I have to watch that light blink on and off for another minute I'll be begging Kira to kill _me_."

L let slip a knowing smirk. He wouldn't have unscrewed the bulb just slightly if he didn't think Light wouldn't take matters into his own hands.

His gaze shifted to the base of the chair. The wheels were moving more erratically by the minute as Light strained himself to reach the bulb.

Settling deeper into his seat, L waited for the inevitable.


	3. Crotch Chocolate

Characters: Mello, Matt  
Genre: Humor

 _I am grateful for every review I receive! If there is anything you want to see, I am open for requests._

* * *

It was truly Matt's own fault that he was put into this position. One simply _cannot_ get high before a stakeout and expect any of the food to make it through the night.

Leaning back in his seat with a pair of binoculars, Mello tried to ignore the fidgeting occurring in the seat beside him. It was a futile endeavor.

"Cease and desist," Mello ground out.

"I am so hungry, Mello," the whimpering pile of mush beside him replied.

"Then maybe not get so goddamn lit before we have to sit in a fucking car for eighteen hours."

"I thought it would make the wait go by," he whined. A loud gurgle erupted from Matt's stomach and accentuated his suffering.

Tossing the binoculars to his feet, Mello shouted, "You know what-" His hand dove to the front of his pants and rapidly took to unlacing them.

Matt was sure Mello was about to tell him what he could eat, but instead was, for the first time, surprised when Mello pulled out a Snickers bar.

Whipping it out, Mello shoved the chocolate in Matt's face. "This is my emergency chocolate, Matt. I was going to spare you having to put up with me when I go through chocolate withdrawals, but right now I'm the one who needs to be put out of their misery."

Matt stared at it for a few moments, seeming to consider Mello's offer. Raising a hand, he brought it to the bar, but then brushed it away toward Mello. "Nah, I don't want your crotch chocolate," he said dismissively. "Who knows how long it's been in there?"

Mello seethed. "If I hear one more peep out of you, I'm gonna make you eat my boot."

Matt leaned back in his seat, still hungry, but quiet.


	4. Innocence

Characters: L, Near  
Genre: Humor

 _If you have any requests, don't forget to leave them in the reviews._

* * *

Near laid on the floor, a mess of puzzle pieces scattered around him. In some areas, a picture could almost be made out.

"Near," L began. He was crouched over the scene, watching as the puzzle manifested. "You have the ability to become my greatest successor."

This wasn't news to Near, or to anyone else. At ten years old, he had already held the top spot at Wammy's for more than two and a half years.

L continued, taking in the curly white hair that was reminiscent of a sheep's. "This has nothing to do with scores or exams and, Near, I need you to listen closely."

Near spared him a glance from his puzzle, letting L know that he was indeed paying attention.

Satisfied, L nodded. "Near, you are adorable. This can be your greatest asset. As far as competency may get you-and it will get you far," he confirmed. "This is a quality with no equal. There are those that cannot be swayed by logic; you need not fear these people. They are not unreachable, and with the right methods, they too can be persuaded to your side."

L paused, watching Near connect a string of puzzle pieces and attach that to another mass to his right.

"It is not simply a matter of being cute," L added. "It cannot just be a feature. You must embrace it and become it." L leaned further over the culminating puzzle, closing the distance between him and the child. "Embody cuteness and you can conquer all," he whispered. "Do you understand, Near?"

At a leisurely pace, Near raised his head and a wide pair of eyes lock with L's. He gave a soundless, but rigorous nod and resumed connecting the pieces of the puzzle.

Patting the messy curls on Near's head, L mused, "You'll do just fine."


	5. Deadleg

Characters: Beyond Birthday, Mello, Matt  
Genre: Humor

 _Review and leave your requests!_

* * *

"Just know that I am warning you, Mello," B said. "You won't want it when it's over.

"I'm with B on this one," Matt interjected. "This isn't a good idea.

"Quit being a pussy. I can take it."

The three of them stood in as much of a circle as three people could make.

B typically wasn't one to hesitate. It was only the humor of suspense that made him linger on any hint of indecision on the part of the blond.

"If you're sure…" he offered with a teasing tone.

Standing straight and narrow, Mello braced himself. "Do it," he demanded.

B smirked, and with precision that would thrill a soccer star, he delivered a swift and devastating instep kick to Mello's thigh.

No later than that very evening, deadlegs were, by name, banned from Wammy's.


	6. Lucky

Characters: Light, L  
Genre: Romance/friendship/drama

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* * *

Despite the circumstances, it was a stroke of good fortune that L and Light ever met. Not many people can say they've been associated with him at all, let have a real, personal relationship.

The common waking world was just too ordinary for Light. He assumed L thought along the same lines. By the time Light had procured the Death Note, he was beginning to feel the sheer tediousness of having to wake up in the morning. It wasn't depression by any means, but he sure as hell was bored.

High school was monotonous- college would likely be more of the same. If he didn't wither away before graduation, perhaps joining the police force would alleviate some of the strain.

This was what he had to look forward to before picking up the Death Note and getting L's attention. Suffice to say, picking it up was the best decision of his life.

First it had been about curing the world of the disease known as crime. Only later had it become about L. This game they played was fun. Light would kill criminals and L would try to prove his identity as Kira. In the mean time, they bickered and squabbled and played tennis. It was nice to have someone stand up to him for a change.

And all those little annoying quirks L happed to have? Light loved L for them all the more.

They weren't quirks and hang-ups that normal people had; they were all L's own. Light had never become jaded to these idiosyncrasies, so really they only offended him on principle. It was just another way they could be foils.

L was a genius. Light was a genius. They were wonderfully in sync, even when contrary to one another.

He knew L considered him in the same regard. While he had started this Kira case as relentless and hardheaded as he approached every previous case, Light noticed he wasn't going the extra mile anymore. He was stopping just short of a solution to the Kira problem.

Light couldn't mock him for it either, he was pulling his punches too.

They both knew if they pulled out all the stops, their tumultuous relationship would come to a close. The game would be over and despite the results, there would be no real winner.

He knew L had the ability to catch him, perhaps even in the next week if he wanted to.

This was why, most of all, Light was lucky not to be in jail yet.


	7. A First and Last Time for Everything

Characters: Matt, Mello  
Genre: Humor

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* * *

Matt's pettiness had backfired. He had not fully anticipated the consequences of hiding every last morsel of chocolate Mello had kept around their current apartment.

In that effect, Mello was on a tirade. His present target was the wall paper, as Matt 'probably stashed it in the walls'.

 _Yeah, Mello. I stashed eight pounds of chocolate in the walls and somehow replaced the wallpaper all while you were in the shower._

From his huddled position in the corner, he surveyed the war zone. Shoes were scattered, every cabinet was open or ripped from its hinges, and if he strained his neck, he could see the upturned mattress in the bedroom. To his left, one of the hinges keeping the oven door attached had been ripped free. Mello had used it as a stepstool to reach the higher shelves, he recalled.

A wild howl was let loose when Mello didn't find anything in the wall. Letting pink insulation foam fall through his fingers, he turned his attention to the television. At least he had some state of mind to retrieve a screwdriver before disassembling the back of it.

Matt held his PS4 closer to his chest and tried to appear smaller.

They were going to have to move again.


	8. Lost

Characters: Roger, Near  
Genre: Humor/ Fluff

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* * *

Roger sat at his desk during a rare moment of quiet. Taking a deep, relaxed, breath, he looked upon the photographs he kept framed upon the desk.

While the children bugged him to no end, he couldn't deny that he was rather fond of them all. Though the pictures never explicitly revealed the identity of the subject, as was the way at Wammy's, he could recognize every single one of his children.

Glancing to the left, he let his eyes linger on his favorite photograph.

If one didn't look carefully, they could mistake it for a sky filled with clouds.

Roger smiled fondly at the picture, recalling the day he took it.

He had taken L's successors to the zoo for a pleasant day out. They had been too young at the time to leave Wammy's on their own.

Sometime in the afternoon, after he had gotten the boys some candy floss to snack on, they had stumbled across a small petting zoo for younger children.

Mello, having an unquenchable urge to bother the wallabies, demanded that all three of them take part in the petting zoo.

Upon entrance, Near was immediately abandoned to pester the exotic animals.

Roger kept an eye on Mello and Matt from the outside, making sure they didn't do anything truly hellish.

When Roger had glanced back over to the last place he'd seen Near, he couldn't staunch the chuckle that started so deep in his belly.

A flock of sheep had found their way over to the strange, white-clad boy. Perhaps wondering why one of their own was all by himself.

Roger watched as Near tentatively raised a hand to pat one's fluffy head. The sheep got closer and snuffled at his clothing, effectively enveloping him.

He laughed harder as Near began to look equal parts pleased and distressed.

Pulling the camera out of his trouser pocket, Roger had aimed at the fluffy mob and taken a shot.

Leaning back in his leather chair, he picked up the frame. Roger brought it closer to his face, looking for Near. He was in that picture _somewhere_.


	9. Nerds

Characters: Mello, Matt  
Genre: Fluff/Romance

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* * *

 _Just look at him there._

Mello is sitting at the worn down kitchen table in their apartment, sipping a cup of coffee. It's just before noon and he hasn't done a damn thing all day. He shouldn't need the coffee, but he drinks it nonetheless.

There isn't an exorbitant amount of space in their crappy little apartment, so Matt is sat there on the carpet only a few feet from him. He is completely absorbed in whatever game has caught his fancy this month.

And Mello is pissed about it.

Not for the obvious reason, mind you.

No, Mello is pissed because Matt is _such_ _a fucking nerd_. There he sits in the same pants he's worn for three days, muttering to himself about enemies and in-game currency. It's not continuous, so just when Mello thinks Matt's gotten a hold of himself, he starts a whole new string of incoherent babbling.

The cup in his hand is scalding hot and Mello uses the pain to ground himself.

He used to beat kids up for being as nerdy as Matt is.

But never Matt himself.

On numerous occasions at Wammy's he could recall dismembering the action figures of Captain America and Ironman alike. He did it just to watch the lesser, dorkier students cry… Only to find Matt later in the day and complement him on the… what was it… _completeness_ of his Star Trek figure set. Matt had the entire original cast.

Mello could remember the exaggerated gagging noises he made when he heard a group of students gushing about their favorite show writers at a convention panel.

He, himself, had accompanied Matt to more of these conventions than he could count. Even one on his own, just to get some surprise merch _for Matt_.

That was what he was pissed about. Matt was the nerdiest nerd of them all.

And somehow Mello had fallen for him.


	10. California Girls

Characters: L  
Genre: Humor

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* * *

L stood on the sandy expanse of the golden coast. Tiny grains of silica and fish bones washed over his feet with each incoming wave.

All around him, children ran screaming and adult men ogled prospective partners.

He stared out into the watery depths of oblivion, listening to the tide crash against the shore. It was now that he started to seriously regret this decision.

 _I don't know what I was expecting…_


	11. Beads

Characters: Mello, Matt  
Genre: Humor

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* * *

They picked the wrong time to visit New Orleans. In hindsight, Matt and Mello should have realized something was amiss when so many people were taking to the streets.

Now, Mello was always partial to a good party, but he was absolutely NOT down to getting molested by strangers.

Unfortunately, as he and Matt traversed down a crowded road, Mello was once again bombarded by masked inebriates.

Spinning in a complete circle, Mello recovered from the aggressive shoulder bump of a green-and-gold-clad jester.

Crossing his arms, he turned to Matt. "Americans," he scoffed. "Savages! How is it that I'm the one bearing the brunt of their idiocy and here you are strutting down Bourbon Street like you own the place?"

Matt responded with only a single nonchalant shrug. Mello was about to go on one of his tirades, adding more fuel to the fire wasn't necessary to get it going.

But more was added nonetheless.

Stumbling into the street in front of them, a drunk slurred, "Show us your tits."

Mello, never one not to rise to the challenge, griped his vest and ripped it apart, wrenching the zipper from its track.

"Get fucked!"

Seeing that the object of his "affection" was not in fact female, he gapped and tripped over his own feet. After fumbling around in the dirt, he managed to pick himself up and make a hasty retreat.

With wild eyes and heaving shoulders, Mello growled, "Bourbon street! You just had to come to _this_ street!" Mello turned and grabbed Matt by the shoulder.

With a sheepish grin, Matt pulled a string of colorful beads out of his back pocket and offered them to Mello.

He knew what he was doing.


	12. Sugardaddy

Characters: Light, L  
Genre: Humor

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* * *

Being under the constant surveillance of L wasn't the worst thing in the world. Sure, Light's privacy was basically nonexistent and L was present far more often than he would have liked. However, once Light changed his frame of mind, he started to see it as a vacation of sorts. L's vigilance was just a minor price to pay.

Despite being a suspect in what was likely L's most grandiose case to date, Light wasn't treated as your typical criminal. In fact, Light wasn't left wanting for anything.

Once he had connected the numerous, expensive, dots, Light began to prod at the limits, as he was wont to do. The first thing he asked L for was a novel. Not because he wanted to read this particular volume, but because he wanted to see whether L would acquiesce. That was weeks ago, and L didn't even questioned why Light hadn't gotten around to reading it yet.

The second thing he asked for was a new computer mouse. It was nothing fancy, but an upgrade nonetheless.

Then came a new chair, a tennis racket, hairdryer, a memory foam mattress- the requests prodded farther and farther never coming to a limit.

Light was history's best treated mass murder suspect.

"Light-kun," L murmured, pulling him out of his reverie.

Raising his head from his hand, Light responded, "Yeah, Ryuzaki?"

"Please hand me that plate of cheesecake."

The sweets trolley was always to L's right. Due to L's dominant hand being the one restrained by handcuffs, this meant the trolley was stationed all the way to Light's right- a spatial oddity L refused to correct.

Light never found himself annoyed by requests such as these anymore. If this was all it took to remain in L's good graces, Light was going to give him the sugar.


	13. Voicemail

Characters: Misa, Light  
Genre: Humor/Drama

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* * *

"Misa, it's Light. I want to break up. I just want you to know that it's not you, it's me…"

Misa's eyes widened. When Light's voice trailed off she found herself ready to protest the very notion of a separation. The preparation inhale was cut off when Light seemed to choke on his own failed attempt to stifle a laugh. "Ok, that was a total lie."

Misa deflated. Maybe it was April 1st already… Although Light had never been one to make a joke.

"This has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you," Light's voice clarified.

Her heart stuttered and she hissed, putting the phone to speaker.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you, Misa, because otherwise I don't feel like this message will really get through to you." Light's voice now bounced off the walls and echoed throughout the room.

"In the beginning, I thought that I could cope with your personality- admittedly I even hoped that it wouldn't be an everyday thing."

What was that supposed to mean?! Misa was Misa, and she _was_ Misa _every day_.

Setting her phone on the counter in her kitchen, she went about looking for something sweet. She didn't know how long this message was going to last, but she hoped Light got to the punch line soon.

"And though I am loathe to admit defeat, I just can't put up with you anymore." His voice sounded steady, but strained. Was he really breaking up with her?

"At this point you're probably thinking that this is a joke or that I'm being coerced into saying these things or maybe even that you don't understand what I'm saying." His next words were muttered and maybe not fully intentional. "It wouldn't be the first time…"

Misa's brows furrowed. Did he just imply that she was stupid?

"The thing is, Misa, we're not good for each other."

There was a click and the message ended.

Misa pulled her head from the refrigerator and stalked over to the phone.

 _What an odd way to end a message._

There was no resolution! No 'that will be all', no 'I'll always love you'.

Figuring her phone was malfunctioning, she played the message again… and again. The words never changed and it always cut off in the same place.

Misa, baffled as if she hadn't really heard the message, shrieked. "Why would he want to break up with me?"

Holding her phone as though she were acting out the opening scene of _The Lion King_ , she speed dialed Light.

Misa was going to get to the bottom of this.


	14. Second Best

Characters: Mello, Near  
Genre: Friendship/Angst

 _This chapter was written for_ _ **EyeDen47**_ _, who wanted to see something with Mello and Near. This probably wasn't what you expected, but I hope you like it nonetheless.  
Review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Mello wasn't angry with Near anymore, at least not as much as he used to be.

Near had been in the first slot for as long as Mello could remember; he had always had that number one placing…

Now that Mello was older, he could see that was really _all_ Near had.

Forever the socially awkward kid, Near didn't have any friends to speak of. Too far above everyone else at Wammy's, everyone thought that he was too smart for them-unapproachable. It was that- and Near thought he was above most of them as well.

Mello certainly didn't help in this regard. He and Matt were the only other students that could hold a candle to him, but Mello decided early on not to associate with Near. By claiming Matt for himself, he had closed that avenue as well.

As an adult, Mello could see that perhaps he had caused everlasting damage to Near. Near could state that he never took Mello's jabs seriously or that they didn't affect him in the first place, but Mello knew better than that.

Mello was human. Near was human. Try as they might to ascend from that plane of existence into some great being known only as "L", Mello had to acknowledge that there were some human quirks that so very few ever managed to leave behind.

Mello, for example, still felt shame and embarrassment. He got some looks when he went out donned in leather. The fair few civilians would even call him out on it. He would never stop wearing leather pants in the middle of July of course, but he was not invulnerable to their remarks.

Just as Near wasn't invulnerable to his.

When Mello was sixteen, Matt suggested he adopt a 5:1 rule. For every one insult he gave Near, he would have to give him five complements. This was awkward all around.

It was decided that 1:1 was a fair compromise.

"Mello."

A soft voice broke through Mello's rare attempt at introspection.

He grunted in response and bored his eyes through a layer of blocks, trying to locate the source of the interruption.

A bright head of curly hair peeked over the castles walls being built around him.

"There are several green blocks by your head. If you would please give them to me…"

Palming as many as he could, Mello lobbed them over the wall. "Maybe people would start taking you seriously if you stopped being so damn cute," he suggested.

Near disappeared behind the wall once more to retrieve the blocks from the floor.

Mello didn't see the small smile Near offered as a response.


	15. Something to Prove

Characters: Matt, Mello  
Genre: Humor

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* * *

"This was a mistake," Matt hissed through chattering teeth. The blankets he was huddled in did little to combat the cold of the vicious winds battering the sides of the tent.

Mello, reclining against the air mattress, looked far less perturbed by the weather. "I don't even know why you agreed to this. Aren't you usually the one trying to talk _me_ out of this sort of rubbish?"

Behind his goggles, Matt glared at him. "Linda called me a bitch," he whined. "She implied that I couldn't take the cold."

"Well she's right," Mello cut in. "You are a bitch."

Matt may have gasped, but it sounded more like hyperventilating.

The lantern near the mouth of the tent flickered. Matt could have cried.

"How can you just lay there? You've got nothing but a coat on!"

It was true, Mello was donned in no more than he typically wore.

"I'm Russian," he replied, as if that were some all-encompassing answer.

Matt shook violently under the blankets. He couldn't even pass the time with his DS. An hour ago he'd had to make the decision between forgoing gloves and playing videogames or keeping his fingers.

"Th-th-is-s-s is sh-sh-sh-i-i-i-i-t-t-t."

Mello pulled a novel from beneath his pillow and shimmied further down the mattress. Opening it up to the last page he marked, he spared Matt one more smirk before getting to business. "Hunker down, princess. You're in for a long night."


	16. Sugar-free

Characters: Watari, L  
Genre: Humor

 _Happy Easter, you guys!  
Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Watari looked over the shoulder of a nine year old L. He was precious to behold, but it was only the compelling and authoritative attitude most were ever exposed to. Even at nine, the powers of the world would only tolerate him in small doses.

Speaking of small doses…

L had been awake for four days. As an expert in child development, Watari knew that even geniuses needed more sleep than L was getting.

He scolded himself for not cracking down on L sooner. He forgot sometimes that despite L's apparent mental advancement, he was still a child and not to be held responsible for taking care of himself. Sometimes Watari was going to have to act like a parent.

L, finally having noticed the older man's presence, acknowledged him. "Is there something I can do for you, Watari?"

Yes. There was something L could do for him. Sleep, hibernate, _take a nap_ \- any or all would suffice.

He knew though, with the amount of sugar coursing through his veins, L was wired. If Watari kept enabling him, L wouldn't stop until his body gave up.

It was time to put a stop to this.

"I've simply brought the cookies you requested," he replied, careful to keep it stoic, though with hints of disapproval for authenticity.

Watari laid the bowl of sugar-free Oreos before L.

Like there were magnets imbedded beneath his skin, L's hand reached for the bowl. Delving just below the rim, he suddenly stopped. With his fingers held only inches above the promised sweets, his head turned to look blankly at Watari.

His hand retreated and his stare-down deepened. "These are sugar-free." The accusation was plain.

Watari held his ground. "Yes they are."

It was the first of _very_ few battles he would ever win.


	17. Ace

Characters: Light, L  
Genre: Humor/Romance

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* * *

Light Yagami was an ace.

He excelled at many a thing and embodied just about every definition of the word.

 _Acing_ his tests, he consistently earned high grades of S.

An _ace_ on the tennis court, he conquered and left his competition in an entirely liquid state of sweat and tears.

Light wasn't at all surprised when he figured out he was asexual. _Ace_.

What did surprise him, was L.

Light could no longer skate by, leaving spectators astonished in his wake. Loathe though he was to admit it- he struggled.

Everything became about this one man.

Thinking, over-thinking, rethinking, and unthinking, Light had to reassess himself as a person.

It was here that Light stopped being an ace.

L was just as smart as him, he was just as good at tennis…L was his rival in so many ways that he had never experienced before.

And he liked it better this way.

So forgive him, as he unticked every box with its little A, that he should be L-sexual as well.


	18. Joystick

Characters: Matt, Mello  
Genre: Humor/ Romance

 _Please review and leave your requests! For real, people. I'm running low on ideas. If there is anything you want to see, let me know._

* * *

"You really know just what buttons to press, don't you," Mello commended him.

Matt grunted in affirmation and twirled both of his thumbs in a clever fashion just to make a point.

"Shit, that was a good move," Mello groaned. "Do it again."

Matt smirked, and over his shoulder Mello could see the screen continuing to flash and reflect colorful images across the ceiling.

"And you've really got a handle on the joystick."

Matt looked up at him, eyebrow raised. Mello loved it when he could see his eyes.

Licking his lips, Matt repressed a snort. "You trying to butter me up or what?"

"Hush, Matt," he commanded through an outbreak of hysterical giggles. "Take this to the next level!"

Burying his face into Mello's neck, he stifled his own laughter. Matt loved it when Mello was being ridiculous.

He stretched out on top of Mello and his foot knocked against the long abandoned controller. The main menu devolved back into the start screen.

He should really just turn off the game.


	19. Misa is a Superstar

Characters: Light, Misa  
Genre: Drama

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* * *

Light stood in the center of the room, looking down on Misa's prone body. His shoulders were heaving.

The Death Note was held loosely in his left hand. The splayed pages revealed the name of one formerly self proclaimed "superstar".

 _It had to be done_ , Light told himself.

In the background, he registered once more the heinous tune that had been playing nonstop for the majority of the week.

He had to admit to himself that this wasn't the only reason he did what he did. After all, there was the solution of simply telling her to find another song to listen to. No, this had just been the tipping point; the final quirk he couldn't contend with.

 _I am a superstar with a big, big house and a big, big car! I am a superstar and I don't care who you are!_

A dark chuckle descended upon the room.

Misa wasn't anything anymore.


	20. Heroes

Characters: Light, L, Mello, Matt  
Genre: Humor

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* * *

They all looked upon Light with astonishment.

"Light-kun…" L trailed off. He didn't know how to articulate what was already such an obvious point.

With crossed arms and a 'holier than thou' attitude Light doubled down on his statement. "You shouldn't take it how it sounds. Let me explain."

Mello interjected. "I think you knew exactly how we would take it when you said it. You did this on purpose, you dick."

Upon hearing Light's declaration on a prominent figure he admired, even Matt gave him his full attention. Whichever game he had loaded into his DS continued to beep and blink as it dangled forgotten in his hand.

"Of course I don't condone the deaths of millions of Jewish people," Light began. To everyone in the room, it sounded akin to someone starting off a sentence with 'I'm not racist, but…'

"You can't deny that Hitler wasn't a pretty charismatic fellow though. I mean, to convince so many people that one particular group was the cause of most of their problems is truly a feat."

L stayed silent, but his glare said enough.

"And he had a pretty solid plan for world domination…"

When this conversation about admirable figures in history had started, predictably, there had been talk of Martin Luther King Jr., Satoshi Tajiri, Charles Darwin, and… Willy Wonka. L was willing to let that last one slide due to a more recent development.

"He really enraptured people-"

"Light-kun, stop talking."

With every further sentence the percentage continued to rise. If Light didn't stop talking now, L was going to calculate past all conceivable numbers.

And how was it going to look, telling Yagami-san that he was 214% certain that his son was Kira?


	21. Breakout

Characters: Light, L  
Genre: Humor

 _Happy birthday to me... Happy birthday to me... Please leave your reviews down below as offerings to my humble services._

* * *

L's arms were wrapped in a vice grip around Light's waist. As it was, this was completely necessary.

Only twenty-three seconds ago, Light had been drying his hair in the bathroom. L was minding his own business, trying to make headway in the case when Light had suddenly gasped and sprinted from the small room like a bat out of hell.

L had watched as Light hastily unlocked the window to the balcony, fumbling all the while. As Light had thrown the glass pane open, he'd taken a step back in what seemed an attempt to gain better footing.

If L had acted even a moment later, he had no doubt Light would have hurled himself past the threshold and over the balustrade.

Light's hands pressed against the outside of the glass for leverage, but L's feet braced against the inside.

A strained howl erupted deep from Light's throat. "Let me go! I have to!"

"Cease and desist," L groaned.

"I can't live with this! I can't do it!"

L thought perhaps he was finally being eaten alive with the guilt of murdering fifteen thousand people.

His eyebrows perked as he tried again to pull Light back inside. Was this the headway he needed to close the case?

No. It was not.

"I can't get acne, Ryuzaki! I simply can't! Light Yagami does not get pimples!"

With a twitch of his eye, L moved one arm up to a choking position around Light's neck. He wished he could be surprised by this turn of events.

In twelve seconds Light's grip loosened and he was gently lowered to the floor.

Subdued, L could finally see what the fuss was all about.

To the left of Light's nose, a few centimeters below his eye, was the faint trace of discoloration.

It wasn't even a whole pimple yet.


	22. 90 in a 45

Characters: Mello, Matt  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

If there was one thing Mello liked about being in America, it was that he could drive so much faster. If he felt that need for speed, he could take his bike to some deserted road in the middle of nowhere and just haul ass. In some parts of the Midwest, he could drive in a straight line for hours without ever needing to make a turn.

This is what he lived for.

Matt, on the other hand, felt this would be something he died for.

With his arms locked around Mello's waist, he buried his head into the hood of his jacket. He was positive that if he looked at the scenery as it passed them by, he'd lose his lunch, his breakfast, and whatever he'd eaten for dinner the night before.

He prayed to Mello's God that a turn was coming soon just so that they would have to slow down. Matt prayed that he _would_ slow down.


	23. Voicemail 2

Characters: Misa, L  
Genre: Humor

 _I'm sorry for the lacking in two chapters, my peeps. I was out of the country for the past week and a half. Today, I shall post both of the chapters that were missed.  
Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

"Miss Amane, I must request that you cease trying to contact Light-kun. You are not only bothering him, but more importantly, myself as well." Ryuzaki's deadpan voice bled through the speaker of Misa's cell phone.

"How rude," Misa huffed.

"Light-kun has made it perfectly clear that he no longer has any interest in seeing you- romantically or otherwise."

 _Yeah right!_ Misa didn't believe him for one second. There was obviously something up with that last message Light sent her. How could he just leave her something like that and never contact her again? He wasn't even accepting her calls!

And now, with this message, Misa was sure that Ryuzaki was involved somehow. He was probably putting Light up to this! _Typical Ryuzaki, always wanting Light for himself!_

A loud sigh could be heard from the phone and the message continued. "There is a seventy-eight percent chance that at this point in my message you've come to the unfounded conclusion that I have somehow corrupted Light-kun or have forbidden him from contacting you. This can be no farther from the actual truth. It is _I_ who is being put up to this message by Light-kun. Although, if you won't listen to him, I am under no illusion that you will listen to me." Ryuzaki's voice faded to a mutter. "He seemed to think this was worth a shot."

The message was silent for nearly half a minute, and Misa was just about to end it when Ryuzaki spoke again. "I suppose I've said what needed to be said. Goodbye forever, Miss Amane."

Misa was fuming. There was no way Ryuzaki wasn't behind this and the message confirmed it.

Stalking over to her hall closet she stood on her toes to grope around on the top shelf. Pulling out a large phonebook she gagged at the dust sticking to her hands.

She was going to have to get creative to solve this mystery.


	24. Happy

Characters: Soichiro, Light, L  
Genre: Family

 _I love this chapter. I've had it written for months and I've just been waiting to share it. It's my favorite so far and I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I do.  
Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Soichiro knew his son. He knew when Light was frustrated and he knew the look of triumph when it was written so subtly on the margins of his face. As such, Soichiro had known for some time that his son wasn't the most joyful human being. He hid his true self from those he called friends and he put on a façade for his family. It seemed as though he didn't know how to relate to anyone on more than a superficial level, constantly dubious as to whether he even wanted to.

Soichiro let it go. Some might question his decisions as a parent, but they didn't raise Light. Light, who would withdraw further under intense questioning. There would be some who would argue he wasn't withdrawing at all. He was giving perfectly thoughtful answers to every question! Yes, but were those answers the honest truth or some rehearsed spiel designed to highlight all of the positive qualities others could only dream for their kids?

That was how he knew better. He would take whatever he could get with Light- he wouldn't push him. It was how, occasionally, Light would still come to him. Sure the reasoning was clouded in this illusion of a perfect human being, but underneath that was a truth. Taking this simple fact under consideration, he never lost his son.

He had come close once, just before the start of the Kira case. Soichiro could see that Light had taken to hiding further and further inside himself. He was becoming too perfect and unlike a human being. Soichiro had almost gone to him then. He had been afraid that nothing in the world could mean enough to keep Light here. He was afraid that Light was more than bored; apathetic, empty.

As much as some would protest, he knew his son. And for the first time in a long while, he knew his son was happy.

Despite the obvious ramifications of the Kira case, L brought out an honesty in Light that he had never seen before. Much to his astonishment, Light allowed himself to fight with someone. Not just verbally, but a real physical altercation. This would be the first red flag in any unhealthy relationship, but afterward neither seemed bothered by it. In some strange way, it was just another way they communicated.

The more Light tried to hide, the more his mask would slip.

It wasn't just about the Kira case anymore. When reality wasn't rearing its head, they could be heard engaging in deep conversation. Any superficial topic was implicitly forbidden.

Even now, as Soichiro sat across the room from the two geniuses, he watched them converse in hushed tones, oblivious to the world around them. Light wasn't one to smile, but his whole demeanor was alight with ardor.

Soichiro couldn't tell if there was something more between them; he wasn't that good. He could tell though, that perhaps for what was the first time in his son's life, Light was genuinely happy.


	25. If the Building was on Fire

Characters: Matt, Mello  
Genre: Fluff

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Matt loved videogames. He loved his Xbox and his Playstation. He loved his DS and PSP. Matt was crazy about his vintage Gameboy. He had a plethora of games for each and all of his systems. Gaming was more than a hobby to him. It was a significant and meaningful part of his life for reasons he couldn't begin to articulate.

Matt also loved Mello though.

So at 3am when he woke up to the smell of smoke, he hoisted Mello over his shoulder and sprinted from the apartment without a second thought.

He loved his games, but he loved Mello more. He didn't even recall his obsession until the building was well up in flames and it was too late to go back.

He was sitting on the curb, head in his hands when Mello plopped down next to him.

"I don't know how, but this ended up in my hands," he grumbled.

Matt looked up when he felt something heavy land in his lap. His hands curled around the small leather case with astonished relief.

Eyes landing on Mello, he saw right through his nonchalant attitude.

He threw both arms around Mello and leaned into him.

Countless Pokémon lives had been saved that day.


	26. Vice

Characters: L  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests! For realzies, people. I'm open for business. If there is anything at all that you want me to write, I will do it for you free of charge. Too lazy to do it yourself? Just send it my way!_

* * *

L had them all fooled. Truth be told, it was infinitely easier now that he was residing at HQ. Back when it had been only him and Watari, he'd had to go to extreme lengths to hide this particular quirk. One might question his need to hide it at all; this fancy was something no one would bat an eye at. _It was normal…_

That was the reason he had to hide it. It was a matter of pride at this point.

Ever since he was a child, he had been known for satiating himself solely with sweets. Sweets were good and he didn't need anything else.

It was only by the loss of a wager he'd made with Watari that his horizons had been expanded.

He ate vegetables.

Obsessively. Excessively.

He loved them.

However, he had appearances to keep. He needed to make everyone think that he was capable of being fully functional under only the sustenance of sugar. After all, if he could survive entirely on cake, what couldn't he do?

He was grateful to his skills as a liar. No one else could state the mere sight of veggies in the refrigerator made them physically ill and be believed. No one else could state the only logical course of action was to throw them away and get away with it.

L knew that the disposal of vegetables peeved Watari. "A waste of nutrition, time, and money", he would say. L had to pretend not to care, had to pretend the foods in question were not bathing safely in his stomach acid. It was difficult to maintain when it was only the two of them present.

At HQ though, there were many things that could happen to the vegetables. Maybe Aizawa ate them, or Mogi. There were so many mouths to feed that no one would ever suspect him of devouring the majority. For the first time in years, he could satiate himself unrestrained.

He didn't have to answer to anyone.


	27. DIY

Characters: Mello, Matt, Near, random Wammy's teacher  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests. Like seriously people. I work for you; tell me what you want._

* * *

Being an instructor at Wammy's was a taxing experience. By nature of the school, the majority of kids were smarter than their teachers. If one was there to teach a class on biophysics, they would be sitting in a desk by the next month.

Three students in particular seemed determined to dole out a near-constant supply of grief. Near- with his polite declarations of stagnancy, Mello- with his blatant disrespect for the educational system, and Matt- with his overall air of ease and disinterest.

There was one teacher though, who was lauded for never falling prey to their "grade-school indignations".

She bore the complaints of the top two students and ignored Matt when he was ignoring her.

Then one by one she called them to the faculty lounge to speak with her.

"I know you're not pleased with the difficulty of my last test," she would say to them.

Each would confirm this statement in their own personalized way.

It was then that she would look them in the eye and tell them to devise their own test, show her the kind of problems they _should_ be tasked with solving.

Mello would come back the next day, shadows under his eyes, and a stack of papers under his arm. His test would contain questions about obscure topics. The answers could not be obtained by simply going to class and listening. One had to be intimately acquainted with the subject.

Near would come to her two days later, quietly leaving a few pieces of paper with several questions concerning the application of methods and the validity of principles.

At the end of the week Matt would make an appearance with a single sheet a paper. He would pull it, folded, out of his pocket, where it had likely been since the previous morning. Handwritten, would be four questions about technical complexities of practices, the small overlooked details of concepts that were integral to the very nature off application. Scores being deducted from for missing the fine points.

The tests were good and reflective of each of the students that left them as offerings.

After cleaning them up a bit, she was more than pleased to hand them up the line. After which, the three of them were sufficiently cowed.

For the next week or so, she knew she would go unchallenged. Then after that week… well rinse and repeat.

 _Work smarter, not harder_ , she always said.


	28. When Mourning Comes

Characters: Light  
Genre: Angst/ Tragedy

 _This is another one of my favorite chapters. I love how it shows there can always be unintended consequences.  
Please review and leave your requests. Like seriously, people. I'm here to serve. _

* * *

Light sat on the edge of the bed in the room they used to share. His blank stare wore at the wall and he imagined it crumbling. The triumph he felt so strongly in the days previous, short-lived as it was, was but an echo now- a shadow of human emotion.

He had kneeled there on the floor, cradling L in his arms with a smile on his face.

Light wondered now how he could have done something so evil.

He had been there to witness the last of the light fade from L's eyes and he had squandered it. No… he had inflicted it. He had extinguished a life so vital to his own, he realized.

L was like himself, and Light felt as though he had dealt the final blow in the genocide of Earth's most unique creatures.

Where once Light thought himself a God with no equal, now he had ensured it.

He was alone.

On this day, like all in the week before, he woke to silence. Who could have thought he'd miss the rabid tapping of keys beside him as he rose to the morning?

Light could still feel a phantom chain capturing his wrist and tethering himself to the only person who ever saw right through him.

What had he done?

He rose from the bed and walked on autopilot to the bathroom. Light avoided the mirror as he plucked one innocuous object from a drawer below the sink.

Spinning on his heel, he shuffled back to their bed and arranged himself in the center.

 _It didn't have to be like this_ , he told himself. He didn't _have_ to kill L. Toward the end, Light had ignored his instincts, he'd ignored every feeling begging him to reconsider. Kira wanted L dead and had so since the beginning. How could Light argue with him now?

In the shallow rays of the morning sun, Light knew that he should have.

Relaxing into the sheets, he took a deep breath.

His work had been suffering this past week, but he'd still made an effort to show up. When he failed to appear on this morning, it would be suspicious-someone would come for him.

He hoped it wasn't his father.

Brandishing the razor blade before him, he wondered how much he would suffer before darkness took hold of him. Would he suffer more than L had?

He knew theoretically how long it would take- anyone could search that on Google. Somehow, when applied to himself though, he couldn't quite grasp the concept of dying.

 _The human who uses the notebook can neither go to heaven nor hell_ , Ryuk had told him in another life. Wherever Light was going he probably wouldn't see L. Was that a mercy or a curse?

Finally, he lowered the sharpened edge to the flesh of his arm. It stung and pinched and brought his despair to the surface riding on blood.

This wasn't what L would have wanted.


	29. On Satisfaction

Characters: L, Light  
Genre: Humor, Romance

 _Please review and leave your requests._

* * *

L sat up in bed, content to not be thinking about anything. He was, dare he say it, almost cheery. The fabric beneath his naked skin was heaven, the comforter above it-paradise. L couldn't even be bothered to assume his normal- pitiful- posture. For once, he was going to let things be.

L glanced downward at the other form occupying the bed. Stomach cradled by heaven and back swathed in paradise, Light laid beside him. His tan arms were wrapped around the pillow at the base of the headboard as he dozed in the early hours of the morning.

It was pitch blank in the room, but after years of functioning well past the waking hours of polite society, L could see quite well despite his human limitations.

He was grateful for his eyes now.

Even with his near perfect powers of recollection, sometimes it was just nice to watch. Watch Light, as his back rose slightly with every delicate breath.

L turned away from him.

A smug pleasure washed over him. It was warm in the same way as was walking into your home after braving the four yards from your car in a snowstorm.

He could die tomorrow. Should that be the case though…

A smirk slid across his lips and settled there, perhaps permanently.

He could exit this world with the supreme knowledge that Light-

Was a bottom.


	30. Silence is Golden

Characters: Near  
Genre: General

 _Please review and leave your requests._

* * *

Near laid, with absolute stillness, in the center of his domino palace. The room was quiet, Wammy's was quiet. He refrained from breathing as much as possible out of fear of shattering the silence.

It was a rare moment. In a house with close to fifty other children of varying ages, there was seldom even a peaceful minute.

His chest burned and Near gave in to the most base biological need to breathe. It was quick and controlled. He couldn't waste this time with needless noise.

Seizing this rare treat, Near cleared his mind completely. He could solve the problems of the universe later. The silence was not to be squandered. His mind would be as quiet as the room around him.

He allowed himself another shallow breath and simply continued to exist for the next six minutes and thirty-eight seconds.


	31. Beat the Heat

Characters: Mello, Matt  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Question: When it is 33 outside, what is the one thing you don't want to be doing?

Answer: Kevlar training

At this very moment, Mello, Matt, and a dozen of their age-mates were being made to stand outside in the summer heat to build tolerance to bullet proof vests.

Two kids had already thrown up and been taken to medical.

Mello, on the other hand, was enduring for himself and for Matt. He loathed the heat. Strip him down and stick him in a freezer for a couple hours and he'd walk out having made himself a snow cone. The heat, his personal nemesis-next to Near of course- was avoided at all opportunities.

He'd be damned if he let those other kids show him up though.

So with his sweat drenched hair plastered to his forehead and neck he held up the brunt of Matt's body weight. Matt, who had passed out twelve minutes ago and who he wasn't going to let succumb until at least one more of their group went first.

Mello was going to take on this extra work just to prove to the rest of these plebeians that he was leagues better than all of them.

At the end of the line, a boy went down like a sack of potatoes.

Mello had the courtesy to wait for the escorts to get back from medical before throwing Matt on his ass.

Now, standing alone, Mello was a one man army. The object of this exercise wasn't to see which student could outlast the rest, though purportedly that's always what it turned into. Mello was going stand there in the blistering heat until he was swimming in his vest.

When he felt the squelching in his boots, he knew he was close.

He lasted another hour and outlasted four more students before getting a face full of grass.


	32. Kids these Days

Characters: Light  
Genre: Humor

Please review and leave your requests!

* * *

Light's gaze was hollow and unfocused. Elbows digging into the desktop, he precariously held his head up with his hands.

He could do this work in his sleep- and he might have to soon enough with how dull this lesson was.

Unable to take another minute of the teacher's rambling, he discretely shifted his eyes to look out the window. Pretty soon he would be out there, leaving the school in his wake.

Light had just begun to go over his study schedule for the week when he saw a black notebook fall from the sky. It gave him cause for pause, but only for a moment.

The other students must be as fed up with high school as he was, Light figured. As close as it was to the end of the year, they must have been throwing old homework off the roof.

He rolled his eyes. Some people were ridiculous. If Light could manage not to banish his old coursework, other students could rein themselves in as well.

With a silent scoff, he turned back to the board. The incident was gone from his mind as soon as it happened.


	33. Voicemail 3

Characters: Misa, Soichiro  
Genre: Drama

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

"Misa," a harsh voice addressed her through the speaker of her cell phone. She froze and her breath hitched. "This is Soichiro Yagami." This declaration didn't relax her in the slightest.

"Do not pretend not to know what this is about. I am completely aware of the present situation you insist upon putting my son in."

 _Situation?_ Their love life was not a _situation_.

"I have not called to make requests of you. I have not called to ask. I am demanding that you cease contacting Light. He wants nothing to do with you and I want nothing to do with you."

"Excuse you, old man! You don't know anything about Light," Misa screeched at her phone.

"And quite frankly you are hindering a very important investigation." Soichiro's voice was becoming more strained.

Misa was appalled. How could an investigation be more important than her love for Light? They were never going to catch Kira, but Misa was here _now_ , ready and waiting.

She couldn't help but think of Romeo and Juliet, forever kept apart by their overbearing parents. If only she knew which window was Light's, she would be under it in a nanosecond.

Soichiro was brutal. Where Light was firm and L was blunt, Soichiro left no illusions about sparing her feelings. "You are not permitted inside the building. You can ask a thousand times, but you will never be allowed past the door. It is a pointless endeavor to enter the premises, stop staking out our porch." He left no room for misconceptions.

"If you bring down undue attention on that building, we will be forced to take drastic measures."

 _Drastic measures?_ What was he going to do, shoot her? If they only let Light see her, everyone could get what they wanted and live happily ever after.

"So listen very carefully to what I am about to say Misa- this is the most important part of the message." There was a long pause and Misa wondered if she should get a pen and paper to write it down. "Light does not love you. He is not being kept away from you by anyone but himself. He has no desire to see you. You need to move on."

The message ended so abruptly, that Misa could almost hear the force with which the 'end call' button was smashed.

She was at a loss for words. The message Light's own father left was so mean and insensitive. She couldn't just forget about Light and go on as if they never had a relationship.

A wave of solemn anguish rushed over Misa and settled heavily on her shoulders. For the first time, a particularly defeating thought crossed her mind. _Was Light really done with their relationship?_

A spark flared through every neuron and she felt more conscious than she'd ever had. That singular thought brought every memory of their relationship to the surface.

She came to a realization.


	34. Can you hear them?

Characters: Light, L  
Genre: Drama

 _This chapter is for_ _ **Kyouko Jeevas**_ _, who wanted to see something based off the rooftop scene. Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Light stepped out onto the roof and was soaked immediately. The rain seeped into his every pore.

Though it was but still the afternoon, the sky was grey like a coming dusk; he could scarcely see past the edge of the roof. The isolation of the scene put Light off as though he were stuck in a dream.

It was surreal. Who stands out in the rain like this?

Toward the center, L gazed out into the distance, perhaps trying to penetrate the dreamlike veil enveloping their here and now. He was unfazed by the wind and rain.

"What are you doing standing out here by yourself?" Light found himself asking. He felt legitimate concern for L. Where it was coming from, he didn't know. He was going to kill L.

Light saw L raise a hand to his ear. He couldn't hear him, then.

Like a spectator in his own body, Light heard himself ask the question again.

His feet moved forward when it became obvious that L wasn't going to give him a response from where he stood.

He was not unaffected by the downpour and reached up to block the storm.

As Light sloshed across the roof, he felt the scene tunnel and close around them. It was only them two. L and Light. The rain was more like a caress now, the memory of an inconvenience, not wholly there.

When the distance between them was negligible, Light asked his question again.

"I'm not doing anything in particular," L professed, his soft whisper of a voice somehow ringing clear against the torrent of the elements. "It's just... I hear the bells."

"The bells?" Light couldn't think of any reason for L to be hearing bells of all things.

"Yes, the sound of the bells has been unusually loud today," he stated with solemn affirmation.

Light was spiraling down a rabbit hole.

He told himself not to take L seriously, that L was just being his usual weird self. However, his thoughts felt only like a niggling sensation in the back of his mind. Not an out of body experience… more so that he was falling further into himself. He watched as his body stood before L.

Light felt hollowed out. Slowly, a deep thumping perforated the mist of his mind; he latched onto it. Like the beating of his heart, it was rhythmic, vivid and heavy.

The clearer it rang, the more he came back to himself.

With one final, distorted toll his ears popped and he experienced the moment with absolute clarity.

"I hear them too."


	35. Sticky Red Stuff

Characters: Beyond Birthday  
Genre: Mystery/Horror

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Every Wammy's kid had their quirks. Mello was known for all but injecting chocolate, Near for his penchant with toys, Matt with videogames…

Then there was B. B could commonly be seen eating out of a strawberry jam jar.

When sticky stains were found around the hems of his sleeves- "oh, he's just gorging himself on the jam again" is what the uneducated would say.

No one worth their salt would dare make this assumption.

Of course, sometimes, it was jam. Beyond had to shake things up a bit. It only had to be _not jam_ just often enough for people to wonder. Wonder, but never ask.

This was a school of geniuses after all.

They knew better than that.


	36. No Rest for the Wicked

Characters: Light  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Light sat in a small, sterile room facing his family's preferred medical practitioner.

They both knew what the problem was. Light had been here just three years previous for the same issue. Though he came alone this time, the physician could still remember the look of pride on Light's father's face when he explained that Light's hand had given out from doing so many practice problems, essays, and general studying.

For formalities sake, he went over the usual questions before getting into the real meat of the conversation.

"So Light, your records indicate you'd be just about university age. Have you happened to be pushing the pencils particularly hard lately?"

The boy across from him gave a sheepish laugh. "You caught me," he confessed. "I really want to make sure I'm prepared for university. I've heard it's nothing like high school."

"That's certainly the idea," he confirmed, making some notes on his computer. "You should know that taking breaks is a perfectly healthy thing to do. You seem like a passionate young man, but this could have been avoided," the physician admonished him playfully.

"Yeah, yeah," Light conceded. "I just didn't want to waste any time or let my mind stagnate between semesters."

He couldn't help but smile. Treating someone like Light was a breath of fresh air. Usually the kids his age came in with slews of other problems brought on by an irresponsible lifestyle. A kid getting carpal tunnel from studying too hard though… as a parent he could only be so lucky.

Walking Light back to the lobby, he wished the boy well and told him to pace himself.

As he turned to walk back toward his office, his eye caught the small television screen set up in the top corner.

For the past week, Kira had been on nothing short of a killing spree. More than 50,000 American inmates convicted of violent crimes had fallen to his will. It was astonishing that someone so evil could exist alongside people such as himself.

His mind wandered back to the Yagami boy who had just left the building. If only everyone could be as good natured and hard working as him, maybe the world would be a better place.


	37. Old Wounds

Characters: Sachiko, Sayu  
Genre: Hurt/comfort

This chapter is for a **guest** reviewer who wanted to see what happened to the remains of the Yagami family after the Kira case. Please review and leave your requests!

* * *

Soichiro had been a father and a husband.

Light had been a brother and a son.

Neither of the Yagami women were stupid people. Apart from the obvious "this is the Kira case, of course there are some things we can't tell you" that Matsuda and Aizawa would try to placate them with, they knew there was more that they _really_ didn't know.

This case had, after all, extended far longer than any other taken by L, at least to public knowledge.

Sachiko had faith in her husband, but seeing him change in the last years of his life she knew she had been sidelined. There was something about this case that was personal for him- a reason he couldn't come home to her every night.

Soichiro had always been absorbed in his work, but from the very beginning he'd always made time for his family.

There had been no fundamental change in him as time went on, this had simply always been his way.

In the end she saw him so tired. He had been giving everything to that case.

In the very end, he finally looked at peace. For that one reason she could never ask her questions of Matsuda-san. Sachiko wanted the wounds to heal and needed Soichiro to rest.

Sayu, on the other hand, had not lived a life of stress. She was young still, flexible, _durable_. Though she had been devastated by the kidnapping, it had awoken an awareness inside of her. She had a new sense of sight that she couldn't ignore.

She knew both her father and Light had been far deeper into the Kira than her mother suspected. Especially Light...

What kind of work wouldn't allow him to come home for nearly two months straight? He hadn't even been allowed to contact them. Yes, _allowed_. She didn't buy it that he was simply too busy. The Light she knew would have found the time. The Light she knew was dependable- he wouldn't leave them hanging.

Whatever part Light had to play in that case, she could see that it was affecting her father greatly. He almost came home as much as Light did, and when he was home it was only physically. It was as though his mind was trying to work out some big mystery. _The_ big mystery.

Sayu had kept her mouth shut for her mother's sake. She didn't want to stir the pot and upset what little peace existed in their somber, little household.

They were both gone now though. And from what she could put together, the Kira taskforce had quietly backed away from the spotlight.

Of course Mogi and Matsuda and all of them were still working together, but that dark cloud that seemed ever present when her family was whole was no longer hanging over them.

Their wounds had long since healed. So had hers.

She would let her mother retain her peace, but for herself- she wanted to know.


	38. Land Mammal

Characters: L, Watari  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Despite the amount of air travel one had to endure being L, he could never work past his feelings of unsettlement. It was some years ago he had finally accepted that he was just meant to have both feet planted firmly on the ground.

Despite his trepidation, however, L thought he handled it pretty well.

Across the aisle of their private jet, Watari sat stock still, hands folded neatly in his lap. He wouldn't risk being roped into one of L's fits by attracting attention to himself.

After enduring L's flight habits for more than a decade, he knew better than to interfere. At this point, nothing was going to help him. He didn't even fall for being drugged anymore…

So still he sat.

Perhaps another three hours of muttering to himself would tire L out.


	39. Lazy

Characters: Matt, Mello, random teachers  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Matt was running around the track behind Wammy's whilst the faculty and students looked upon him with awe.

"How long has he been at it?" Ms. Wéi, the Bio instructor, asked the P.E. coach.

"They were only supposed to run a mile," he muttered, voice laced with astonishment. "But once he finished the fourth lap, he just kept going. I don't know what his deal is."

Coach Roche would have been more impressed if Matt's form wasn't absolutely atrocious.

Mello, hearing Matt's name spoken like some sort of siren call, materialized in between his two teachers.

With crossed arms and attitude as abrasive as ever he questioned, "Well did anyone tell him to stop running?"

They both glanced at the small preteen. "Why would I tell him to stop?" Coach Roche grinned. "This is the most effort I've ever seen him put into anything."

Mello smirked at him. "If you think Matt is putting any effort into this whatsoever, you're severely mistaken." Pointing his thumb over in Matt's general direction, Mello continued. "That's Matt final form right there. That is him giving absolutely zero fucks."

"Hey, watch your mouth," Ms. Wéi admonished.

Ignoring her, he elaborated, "He tuned out the world the moment you told us to start running. That kid is like a zombie right now and he'll keep running until he's physically stopped."

The coach didn't look like he believed a word of it. "Mello, no one runs five miles just because they can't be bothered to stop."

"Oh yeah?" Mello challenged. "Well Matt can. And I bet you he'll run five more at that pace too if we don't stop him."

Coach could barely get Matt off his butt for the class. There was no way the kid wasn't about to drop.

Looking down at Mello with smug certainty, he stated, "Well, Boy Genius, I'm willing to make a wager."

Ms. Wéi didn't bother to get between the two. Normally she couldn't condone teachers making bets with their students, but if one was dumb enough to think they'd outsmarted one of the top students at Wammy's… well they would get what was coming to them.

Mello was just about laughing in his face. "If Matt can run five more miles without interference you have to exempt the whole class from laps for the rest of the week." Laying his terms, Mello stuck out his hand.

"If he can run as long as you say, he'll have knocked out everyone's laps anyway. You've got yourself a deal," he affirmed. It was implicitly known that if Mello was wrong, that would be a win in and of itself.

With smug expression of his own, Coach Roche took Mello's hand with a binding shake.

Sixty minutes from that moment, he was eating his words when Matt indeed finished a further twenty laps.

And Matt, roused from his stupor by the cheers of his classmates, couldn't figure out why running a mile was such a big deal to them.


	40. Into the Wind

Characters: Light, L  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

"And today marks the third month without _any_ Kira related deaths," the woman on the TV reported.

L swiveled around in his chair to face Light. His partner made no reaction whatsoever to the news on screen.

Head leaning heavily into one hand, Light gazed absently at the screen and clicked the occasional pointless link displayed on the monitor.

For a brief moment, L considered that perhaps he hadn't heard. L was about to accuse him of such when Light beat him to the punch.

"Yes, Ryuzaki, I heard. I'm just not all that surprised."

"There have been no suspicious deaths in months, Light-kun. I can't even theorize that Kira himself is dead as the rate of which inmates have been dying had tapered before ceasing completely… How does this not alarm you?"

"Maybe Kira's just bored of this whole thing? Have you considered that," Light mused.

L's only response was to throw a disdainful glare in his direction before turning back to the news.

Light shifted his hand to better cover his mouth. His smirk was sneaking through.

Truth be told, this _was_ the case. There had been a lull in the investigation that Light had found so amusing. It wasn't enough to be "God of the New World" anymore. No… he wanted to mess with L.

So five months ago he began to reign in the deaths. The sharp decline in conjunction with the lack of total abatement meant that L could never confirm his death as a fact. L would never have a discernible reason for why Kira wasn't killing.

Light supposed that wasn't entirely true; he was killing L, slowly. Every day Kira went without an addition to his exodus, L unraveled that much more.

Light was beginning to understand Ryuk.

He wasn't bored anymore.


	41. Memeconomics

Characters: Mello, Near, Matt  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Matt and Near sat together in the grass enjoying the silence between them as they engaged themselves in their own favored activities. They could appreciate each other's company like that.

It wasn't long though before Mello sought Matt's presence, bringing the blond haired boy to splay out in the grass beside his best mate. In a rare act of maturity, Mello respectfully ignored Near's existence.

Leaning back on his elbows Mello watched Matt play some Mario Kart game on his DS. The more he watched Matt though, the more he felt something was different-something he just couldn't put his finger on.

Then in a flash, it hit him. "I like your pants." Mello had been used to seeing him in shorts throughout their childhood, but it was satisfying to finally see him in more fashionable duds.

"Thanks," Matt grunted. "They were 50% off."

With a sigh, Mello thought that of course he bought them because they were cheap. Matt would never try to look good on purpose.

Shaking his head he hauled himself closer to the redhead and gave him a good nudge in the arm. "Y'know… I think I'd like them even better if they were 100% off," he teased, giving Matt a suggestive look with a wag of his eyebrows.

Though Matt didn't look up from his game, Mello could see that he was cracking a smile.

"Mello, the store can't just give things away for free," Near interjected, effectively ruining the mood. "That's a terrible way to run a business," he muttered. "You should know better."

Not a soul could have said who was most disappointed by that conversation.


	42. Hideki Ryuga

Characters: L  
Genre: Drama/Crack

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

When L first introduced himself to Light as Hideki Ryuga, he could never have anticipated the sheer degree of satisfaction he felt for pulling the wool so thoroughly over his eyes.

He knew what train of thought Light would follow. Hideki Ryuga was famous. Light knew what Hideki looked like. Light needed a name and a face to kill. If Light wanted to try to kill L with that name, he might think of Hideki by mistake, resulting in the death of the wrong person. At that point it would be apparent who Kira was.

It was deceptively obvious. Light would never _really_ think L's name was Hideki Ryuga. It wasn't ever worth trying.

So deceptively obvious…

Hideki was known to everyone.

L was known to no one.

Which was why it was so irrevocably humorous to L that they were one and the same.

Hideki Ryuga was his Clark Kent.

It was amazing what make-up was capable of. It was astounding that all it took was a wig, and then Misa-who so completely hated him- was suddenly his biggest fan.

L chuckled as he stood in his bathroom and watched his reflection take off said wig, transforming from brunette to raven-haired once again.

Even Light couldn't see what he didn't expect.


	43. Voicemail 4

Characters: Light, Misa  
Genre: Drama

 _I gotta tell ya. This is one of my favorite pieces of writing. Not just of chapters in this story, but of anything that has ever come forth from my fingertips. I'd love to hear what you all thought of it, so please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

It had been three months since Misa had initiated any kind of contact with Light. She didn't wait outside HQ for hours at a time. She didn't send him gifts. She no longer tried to run into his mother at the grocery store.

So when Light was checking the voicemail on his phone, he was surprised to find a message from the long-absent blonde.

"This may come as a surprise to you, Light, but this message isn't about you. It's about me."

Though her voice was neural, steady, Light's life started to flash before his eyes. This was the part where she would try to pull him into her pregnancy scheme, murder-suicide, something…

"You haven't been good for me, Light," she said after a pause.

Not being what he expected to hear, he listened more closely now.

"I was so willing to give you everything. You had my time, my attention… my heart. I can't even remember how it started. It was like I just loved you one day and knew you had to have me. You did have me," she whispered sadly. "I'm seeing so clearly now though. You never gave any of yourself in return."

Light's heart soared. Did Misa finally get the point? He, himself, could scarcely recall why he started a relationship with her in the first place.

Her voice was insistent behind the static wall. "You were selfish, Light. I can see now what I couldn't see before; it was in every look you gave me. Your eyes were always looking right past me."

Light was back to being confused. What was she on about now?

"I couldn't see it because you were so perfect." A bitter laugh followed her disclosure. "Have you always been so empty? So devoid of life that you needed to fill it with an approximation of humanity?"

Her laugh persisted and Light didn't know what to make of it. He was only aware of the increasing level of offence he felt at her accusations.

"I guess I lied. This was definitely about you."

There was a long pause where Light thought she may have ended the message, but forgot to hang up.

Then he heard her take a deep breath and she spoke again, voice full of contentment and hope. "Yeah, I'll be better off without you."

There was the definitive click of a discontinued message and Light was left with only the sound of his own thoughts.

He stewed over the message for a minute, completely still in his posture. Light couldn't believe Misa would have the gall to talk to him that way.

He hit the redial button on his phone. In less than five seconds he was met with another message.

The number he was trying to dial was no longer in service.


	44. To Those We Claim to Love

Characters: Watari  
Genre: Angst

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Quillsh Wammy was a man who lived a full life. He was blessed with the opportunity to take things for granted as a child. He was privileged with the chances to make changes and grow as a young adult. And he made a life for himself as a man.

Being born just short of the Second World War, he always believed he had a unique perspective on the ways of humanity. He saw societies at their worst and he saw those same people try their damndest to pick up the pieces.

When he was old enough, he knew he wanted to pick up the pieces as well.

As an intelligent, wealthy, white male, he endeavored to spend his time working for the benefit of others. His parents always said his ingenuity was best served inventing.

With his hands he toiled into being the miracles of his mind-things scarcely dreamt about by the common man. Quillsh Wammy was lauded a genius.

And when he got weary of the praise and attention, he allowed himself to fade into the background. There would always be geniuses, let them have their time in the spotlight.

With that particular thought in mind, Quillsh had decided to open home for gifted children- the geniuses forgotten or ignored by society for the simple factor of their misfortune.

He had been determined to show the world each child's worth.

However, after taking the lead of one particularly exceptional child, he wondered if L hadn't been an anomaly; if his talents and persona would have been better not replicated.

In his old age, having seen the world and countless children, he often felt as though perhaps he should not have pushed so hard.

L was remarkable, unparalleled. Though every child had their quirks, L was truly unique.

After keeping with the boy-now man- for nearly twenty years, and altering the program of the orphanage so drastically, Quillsh considered he may have committed a great sin.

There were events in the orphanage's history that troubled him immensely still and he had to live with being at fault for them. Every day he made due with the concession that perhaps being able to train geniuses for the role of "L" did not mean he should have.

Their asset and benefit to the world perhaps came at too high of a price.

When Watari was kept awake at night, it wasn't just to serve L. He was plagued by the history of his creation.

Years previous, he hadn't been the one to find A hanging by the light fixture in his room. Watari had been with L in Istanbul, leaving Roger to witness the grievous error of his training regimen. Quillsh would now suffer the weight of both their traumas.

He had pushed too hard, set the bar too high. He hadn't realized back then that "L" was not a formula. He hadn't been paying attention to the things that really mattered.

Beyond had taken advantage of this weakness. He was another of Quillsh's greatest follies. They disregarded his oddities as eccentricity, and as a result, B didn't settle for simply taking his own life.

The choices Quillsh had made in his life left him weary. Like those of a similar age he was full of regrets. He knew he had done unquantifiable good for this world; that at least gave him some comfort.

Every night though, he wondered just what it cost those he claimed to love.


	45. Distant

Characters: Near  
Genre: Angst

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Near had always been separate from those around him.

His peers were jealous of him and adults were awed by him. They all expected so much and he couldn't relate to any of them.

He tried to take pride in his infallibility as a tool. _He was so useful_ , he would tell himself.

These words, however, weighed constantly on his soul.

Mello, the one person he actually had a chance to understand him, spurned his very presence. It wasn't the insults or the teasing inflicted upon his person which would bring him down. It was Mello's resentment. Mello disliked Near for the one thing everyone else relied upon him for.

Matt was nice enough to him, but as Mello's best friend, his attention was required elsewhere.

All in all, Near was afraid to voice his concerns. He didn't know how to explain the loneliness that festered inside of him. He couldn't fathom disclosing his emotional needs to others when he barely understood them himself.

He, himself, knew that he was a very sensitive person. He quashed his sentiments in front of others for fear of them being put off even further.

Near sometimes wondered if this was not counterintuitive.

At this point though, he wasn't sure if he could change.

Or if it would even make a difference.


	46. Go Back to Sleep

Characters: L, Light  
Genre: Romance

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

 _Something was amiss_ , L thought as he stared blankly through the darkness.

His being awake was the first, and most obvious, conclusion he came to. No… that he had been asleep at all was the true enigma here.

The body next to him rolled over and onto his back.

L smirked. Were he awake, Light would tell him that he was thinking too loudly and it was disturbing his sleep. Even on a subconscious level, L figured this was the case.

Light's brows furrowed as though to prove his point.

His expression softened, and he gently leaned over Light's sleeping form

L pressed the faintest of kisses to the pair of slightly parted lips, then rolled back over to his side to allow sleep to take him once more.


	47. The Good 'Ol Death Note Switch-a-roo

Characters: Light, L, Misa, Matsuda, and a lovely surprise cameo…  
Genre: Humor/Drama

 _Greetings, peeps! As our year grows nearer to the close, I remind you that with the passing of said year, this story must come to an end. I've still got a couple chapters planned before this point, but if you ever wanted to see something specific, there are only five more chapters I'm looking to get ideas for. I'm open to all requests and I haven't declined any that I've received so far. So definitely leave me some ideas if you've got any. If you don't, please review anyway; I really appreciate the feedback._

* * *

This was it. Light was finally going to kill L… Okay, Misa was going to kill L, but the end result was still the same.

L was growing more suspicious of him by the day. Pretty soon, he suspected L was going to confine him for observation. He'd be a sitting duck, and while he _was_ capable of waiting it out, this was in no way ideal. Strategic retreats were never his forte.

Light had to strike before L could determine Misa's value, before he could suspect her part in Kira's regime.

Because L _would_ suspect her. He would suspect her within minutes of meeting her.

Light just had to time it perfectly.

* * *

L was acting odd, Light thought, more so than usual. His usual stoic demeanor was replaced by a distinct, electric smugness. Light was suspicious that L was suspicious. Perhaps L had something up his sleeve and was trying to beat him to the punch.

Light tried to manage his glare, but L was being so obvious about his ulterior motive to showing up on the To-oh campus. Though his signature slouch couldn't be stifled, there was a new kind of energy to his gait.

Misa, ever at his beck and call, would arrive any minute. Light would put a stop to L.

* * *

This was perfect; L had invited them both back to headquarters. Obviously, it was some kind of set up, the confinement Light knew was coming. The opportunity to silence Watari as well was just too good to pass up, however. This would not prove a problem.

Misa had already written L's name in the notebook on the way here, leaving a slight notation of delay. He just had to get them all into the control room as L died, then it would leave them with further doubt that Light was Kira.

They had speculated before that Kira could control when someone dies, but seeing is believing. If they didn't see Light actively killing L, he knew they would be less likely to believe that he did.

Light kept pace with L as they walked right for the scene of L's final act. Misa fell in a step behind them and Watari kept at an observing distance as though to dissuade them from any tricks.

When they were just down the hall, the sounds of a struggle emitted from around the corner. Around the other side, they saw Matsuda violently pulling at the handle to a storage room.

At their approach, Matsuda ceased his efforts and bounded to their little group like his savior was among them.

"Light-kun," he addressed him immediately. "The handle to the closet has been broken, I can't get it open for the life of me."

The sooner Light could get Matsuda back to the control room, the sooner everyone could be witness to his innocence. Not having much time to spare, he stepped forward to oblige.

"Light-kun," L interjected, moving to position himself in between Light and the closet. "I'm sure Matsuda-san will get it eventually. Let's continue, we have much work to do."

"Just wait a second, Ryuzaki," he admonished. "Matsuda asked for help and I'm not so rude to just leave him."

 _That's it, ingratiate yourself to him._ If Light could get it open right now, there was still time for this all to work out perfectly.

He stepped around L and didn't leave room to argue, though L did try anyway.

The lock wasn't just broken, he saw, it was physically damaged. It looked as though someone had gone to great lengths to make sure this door couldn't be opened. That was strange in and of itself and Light was now personally determined to get this door open. Nothing was going to be hidden from him.

"Light-kun," L started again, a tone of anger he'd never heard from him before seeped into the words.

Planting a foot on the wall, Light ignored him and gripped the handle to pull with every ounce of his strength. After a moment, there was a metallic groan and the door gave way to his desires.

What stumbled out was nothing Light had expected.

Crumpled in an inelegant pile on the floor was…L?

Misa recoiled from the scene with a screech.

Glancing between the two identical figures, Light's mind jumped to no small number of conspiracies. He was about to accuse L of a setup when the L standing next to him grabbed his chest with a groan.

The L on the ground looked up just in time to see the other join him on the floor. Though his lookalike writhed on the floor, L didn't move a muscle to help him.

When Dying L's body stilled, Alive L rose and greeted them.

Light couldn't believe what he was seeing. Did L plan all along to send a double to get him?

"What is going on?" he demanded.

L's gaze shifted from the body on the ground, to Watari checking said body for a pulse, and then came to lock on Light's.

"What this means…" L started cryptically. "Is that Light-kun is Kira."


	48. Hotrod

Characters: Matt, Mello  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Very few people knew Matt like Mello did. Even Matt probably didn't know Matt like Mello did. Sometimes though, Mello just had to sit back and wonder just what Matt was about.

Watching a red head duck beneath the hood of his 1968 Camaro, Mello remarked that his was one of those times.

He loved to watch Matt work on his car because it reminded him that there was something beyond the cases, beyond surpassing L.

He would never quite get it though. Matt was the kind of guy to wear the first thing his foot touched in the morning, even if he'd worn it four consecutive days already. Matt would forget to eat and sometimes forgo wearing socks. If Mello wanted Matt to have neat hair, he always had to comb it himself. And he did… frequently.

Matt didn't really care about having nice things. He would eat at Burger King and Taco Bell everyday without blinking an eye. Almost all of his games were secondhand.

There was one thing however, without fail, which was always immaculate.

Hearing the hood slam closed, Mello glanced up. Though he wasn't quite disturbed from his thoughts.

Matt wiped the sweat from his forehead and tried to shimmy his sleeves further up his arms. Though why, Mello couldn't tell. The cuffs were already stained with grease.

As Matt walked around to the other side of the car, Mello knew he would come back with his waxing do-hickeys. Matt always said that if you couldn't go blind looking at his hood just right, then it needed another coat.

 _What a nerd…_

Shaking his head, Mello resumed his Matt watching.

If only he could ask him what made his car so special, and expect more than a grunt and a shrug in response.


	49. I Could Fall For You

Characters: L, Misa, Light  
Genre: Angst, Romance

 _This chapter goes out to_ _ **MiMiMargot**_ _, my biggest supporter! She loves that scene where Misa kisses L on the cheek and so I wanted to do something based around that! This is probably the opposite of what she thought she would get, so for that I apologize, but I thought the world deserved something from this perspective._

* * *

" _I could actually fall for you."_

L had been joking when he'd said that, but the world in its infinite sense of humor, seemed to have thought otherwise.

Misa was different than him, Light-kun, or anyone else. She was unjaded and full of life. Her thirst to be useful and contribute in any way was admirable.

She had such a pure zest for life that he himself felt more alive just for being near her.

It was a shame she had been caught in all this. The Kira case…

L did not want her to be the second Kira. Despite the odds weighing so heavily against her innocence, he hoped he was wrong.

Misa deserved better than this. Better than her inevitable fate should she continue down this path.

 _She deserved better than Light_ , L thought bitterly.

Light was using Misa in nearly every sense of the world. He would throw her under the bus at the nearest opportunity.

What disturbed him the most though, was that she would let it happen. For some unfounded reason, she couldn't see what Light was. For some reason she loved him.

 _No_ , L corrected himself after a moment. She wouldn't _let_ Light do anything, she would always be that step ahead ready to sacrifice herself. She would do it before he even needed to ask.

Light didn't deserve that kind of devotion.

Neither did he for that matter.

Misa deserved better than the both of them; she deserved better than _all this_.

She had already undergone so much heartache and trauma in her short life. Still, somehow, she continued to cultivate joy for the whole world with her talents.

If she continued to follow Light, the world would soon be deprived of her exuberance.

L was unimaginably angry. His feelings about the situation never even touched on jealousy. He knew he could never inflict himself or his lifestyle upon her. What caused his blood to seethe through his veins, was that Light wasn't good enough to do the same.

He wanted so much from her. She asked for so little in return. All she wanted was his love, but he only had deceit to spare.

Misa was too good for this world, L decided.

He hoped he wouldn't live to see her fall.


	50. Trigger

Characters: Matsuda  
Genre: General

 _Welcome back, my peeps! Right here, I've got another chapter written for_ _ **MiMiMargot**_ _, who wanted to see something with Matsuda. Enjoy!_

* * *

Legs spread shoulder length apart and arms held steadily in front of him, Matsuda took a deep breath and let it out as he pulled the trigger.

He was out of ammo.

Scolding himself, he stood straight once more and released the magazine from his handgun. He checked the chamber to be safe.

He had never been good at counting his shots. Even in such a relaxed setting as an indoor range, he still managed to lose track.

Over the years, Matsuda had gotten less ditsy, more focused. After the Kira case finally closed, he'd even begun to gain respect from other officers.

Smiling, he placed the empty magazine into his bag and rummaged through it to find another.

Aizawa-san had told him he needed to be more organized. What if he needed to reload really quickly?

Matsuda appreciated the advice and knew he was right, but it still stung to be babied after all this time.

Unable to locate a full magazine that _he knew he still had_ , he cursed himself. Maybe he should be taking Aizawa-san's words more to heart.

He withdrew his hand from the bag and placed the gun on the table in front of him. This was a two hand job.

He dug into the bag and reminisced how familiar this situation had become. Matsuda came to this range as often as possible and most times involved him rooting around for ammo he had misplaced.

 _Some things never change_ , he thought bitterly.

He was here though, and that's what mattered. He was always here.

Matsuda knew he wasn't the most experienced. He didn't have that sense of intuition that Mogi-san had. He wasn't the smartest and he certainly didn't channel as much caution into his work as he ought to.

What he did have though, was his skills as a marksman. Matsuda was quick on his feet and he could react appropriately with little preparation. Matsuda knew he wasn't perfect; some skills just weren't a part of his nature. The one thing he knew he could be good at though was shooting.

Sure, this was Japan and he didn't really need his gun. He knew though, that when the time called for it, he would be ready.

His mind took him back to that day at the Yellow Box Warehouse, as it often did. His life had changed that day, when one of the men he trusted most in the world threw everything back in his face.

Matsuda had been ready then. It may have been the most useful thing he had ever done- shooting the pen right out of Light's hand… out of Kira's.

It was for days like that he knew he had to be ready. Matsuda may not be the smartest man or the bravest, but he could take the shots that no one else could.

He jumped when his knuckles brushed a magazine heavier than the ones around it. Taking it in hand, he reloaded and widened his stance once more.

Matsuda had to be sure he was always ready.


	51. Tryhards

Characters: Linda  
Genre: Humor

 _Please review and leave your requests!_

* * *

Linda walked casually through the halls of Whammy's. She didn't know why she bothered to look at the placement postings each week. She supposed curiosity would always get the best of her.

Like clockwork, she arrived outside of Roger's office to see a small group of students assessing their placement. It was always the same students, the one's particularly invested in placing high. And Mello, who was particularly invested in placing first-even though he rarely did.

Linda couldn't imagine the stress of being in the top three. She couldn't imagine the work one would need to put in just to get there.

Her brow twitched when she thought of Matt and the work he probably _didn't_ do. The expectations though! That was something even he couldn't escape.

She approached the group and a couple students cleared a path, done with their perusal.

As Linda found herself in front of the listing, she observed Mello looking smugger than usual and all puffed up. He must have managed to snag first this week.

Rolling her eyes, she searched out her name. It seemed she would continue to roll steady at number twelve.

She let out a breath. Just low enough to escape the extra attention the top ten received.

Turning on her heel, she went back the way she came.

She had aspirations like any of the other students, but she knew simply having Wammy's school on her record was enough of an in to get where she wanted to go.

It would be enough to get where _most_ of the students wanted to go.

With a grimace she thought, _honestly, it's like I'm the only smart one around here._


	52. Trust and Dust

Characters: Rem, Light, Misa  
Genre: Drama/Romance

 _We're almost there, my friends. Enjoy this story and its final two chapters._

* * *

Rem didn't trust Light Yagami.

She didn't like the way he talked to Misa. She didn't like the way he looked at herself when he thought she wasn't looking. The joke is on him though, Rem always keeps her eye on the people she doesn't trust.

If Rem had hair on the back of her neck, it would stand up whenever Light was in the room. She might be a literal monster, but Light was the truly frightening one.

Despite Light's plan to have Misa cleared of all suspicion, she doubted it would really be as simple as that. From what she had seen, Light didn't make a move without setting someone up for sacrifice.

Rem wasn't stupid; she knew sooner or later it would be her.

Even now, as she watched the taskforce argue over the validity of the fake rules, she knew the wheels in Light's head were turning. He was fully Kira again. Someone was going to die soon, that much was certain.

Each day there was less and less room for mistakes. If she ever wanted to do something to make sure Misa would live, and live free, now might be the only time she had left to do it.

In the back of her mind she always knew it would end this way. It was the quiet whisper on the wind ever since the day Light strutted into Misa's life. The moment he discovered how to kill a shinigami, she knew that it would be her fate.

Rem would never wish to love Misa any less, even if it would spare her. She felt many things about their situation, but regret was never one of them. She would do this for Misa wholeheartedly. She would do it with the love Light could never give her.

With one last look at the crew determined to implicate Misa, Rem phased through the wall into the next room.

Without hesitation, she opened her notebook and wrote a single name.

Though she did not need to breathe, she did so in relief. Both she and Light Yagami would be dust in the wind soon enough.


	53. Imaginary Friend

_Wow! We are one step away from a new year! This is it, my peeps… the final chapter! It's been so great being able to stretch my writing skills and try out a ton of characters and genres that I hadn't done before. Honestly, I'm a bit impressed that I was able to keep with my plan of one chapter every week. Some chapters I had ready for months and others I finished writing minutes before posting.  
It's been a great year for my growth both as a writer and as a person. I'm glad I could share my progress with all of you.  
Some of you may want to see what I write next. I'd love to give you more of something, anything. Truthfully though, my next idea is hopefully something I can actually get published! It's an idea I've been planning for a couple years now and I'm finally going to dedicate my remaining time and brain power to seeing it through! Eventually you may see some new fanfiction from me. Who knows what my mind will concoct in these upcoming years? Just remember, folks, nothing ever really ends, does it? _

* * *

A little boy laid upon the ugly rug in his bedroom, crayons sprawled around him without a care. He was busy scribbling away in his notebook, a picture for his mom well in the works.

He came to a pause, seeming to contemplate something.

"Velos," he called out. "Do you think mom would like a blue bird or a green one?"

The tall shinigami, which had been squatting on the bed overlooking the boy's art project, unfolded its legs. The long appendages came to rest at the boy's head and feet, allowing her to bend closer to him.

"Mother is always complaining about the birds around her car. I don't think she would like either a blue or a green one."

He turned his head to look into her eyes. When they had first met, he didn't know whether to look into the top or bottom two. He was seven now though and he knew that the ones on her forehead were the extra set.

Taking her words under consideration, he pursed his lips. After a minute, he finally replied with a long, drawn out, "Yeah."

The boy went quiet, or quieter, after this revelation. He didn't know what else he could draw.

Velos liked the boy. He was a new human, but always so eager to learn and experience. He was untainted by the rest of the world.

Thus she wouldn't leave him hanging. "Mother likes penguins. She said so last week at the zoo."

His face brightened immediately. "You're right! I remember!" He picked up the black crayon, which Velos observed was almost down to a nub, and started a very crude outline of a penguin.

Those were birds too, she remembered, but they didn't fly, so it was probably ok.

She watched for several more minutes as he colored in his penguin, heedless of the lines that suggested this wasn't a coloring book.

She had been doubtful at first that this boy would be any fun to possess. Shinigami didn't have children after all and there might be good reason for that. Velos had been wrong though. This boy brought to her a simple kind of happiness. His presence was fulfilling.

Where an adult human may ignore her for the most part, as she had seen happen to other shinigami, this one was usually happy to converse with her at any opportunity. Mother and Father thought he was silly, but they didn't begrudge their communication.

Raising her head, Velos heard the light footfalls of the woman in question. A moment later, the door to the bedroom opened.

"Jannik, it's time for dinner."

He quickly moved to cover the picture he had been working on. Humans did like surprises…

"I'm almost done though," he told her with a whine.

With a slight shake of her head and a smile, Mother replied, "You can finish after you eat. It's not going anywhere."

Jannik signed and pushed himself up from the floor. Before taking a step to the door he turned back to the shinigami. "Come on, Velos, let's have dinner."

She smiled a toothless grin back at him. She had no need for human food, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Besides, it was always fun to see how much she could eat without Mother or Father taking notice.

Contorting herself through the door, she followed the boy down the stairs.


End file.
